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Toronto Maple Leafs centre Mikhail Grabovski will get his chance to play with Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk.

Grabovski joined Datsyuk and Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov with CSKA Moscow of the KHL, signing a deal with the Russian club Monday, according to The Fourth Period.

The 28-year-old from Belarus played three years in the KHL's predecessor, the Russian Superleague, before moving on to the NHL. In 153 games with Neftekhimik and Dynamo Moscow, he had 32 goals and 49 assists.

Dynamo Minsk was interested in signing Grabovski for the duration of the NHL lockout and expressed disappointment over losing him to CSKA instead.

Grabovski had 23 goals and 28 assists in 74 games with the Leafs last season.

DATSYUK TRIES HEADER

Pavel Datsyuk apparently has been practising his soccer moves during the off-season.

Datsyuk scored on a header during his KHL debut Monday in CSKA Moscow's 1-0 win over Avangard Omsk.

The goal, however, was waved off.

The Detroit Red Wings centre used his helmet to direct a floating rebound into the net -- a move that is against the rules in the KHL.

UNDERWOOD 'HAPPY' ABOUT LOCKOUT

Singer Carrie Underwood doesn't expect to see her husband, Mike Fisher, much more frequently even though the Nashville Predators centre has been sidelined by the NHL lockout.

"He's such a disciplined guy that he has to train and make sure he's ready regardless of what's going on," Underwood told The Tennessean. "He (has) so much to do on his end, and I certainly don't want to be the cause of him not being able to give it his all."

Furthermore, the singer will be on tour for the next few months.

But the labour shutdown in the NHL means Fisher will be able to join her at some tour dates.

"Is it wrong for me to be a little happy (about the lockout)? I mean, 'I'm sorry for you, but it's great for me.'"

PACIORETTY HEADS OVERSEAS

Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens signed Monday to play with Ambri-Piotta in Switzerland during the NHL lockout.

The winger had 33 goals and 32 assists for a team-leading 65 points last season.

Pacioretty won the 2012 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for his comeback from a broken vertebra and a concussion suffered on a hit from the Boston Bruins' Zdeno Chara in March 2011.

VETERAN HEADS TO AHL

Goalie Dan Ellis, 32, who has played 165 games during seven NHL seasons, signed a tryout contract Monday with Charlotte of the AHL.

"The arrival of Ellis, who spent each of the past two seasons backing up Jonas Hiller with the Anaheim Ducks, will give the Checkers four goalies at camp," the team said on its website.

"Two of those, Justin Peters and John Muse, are under NHL contracts with the Carolina Hurricanes, while another, rookie Rob Madore, signed an AHL deal with the Checkers this summer."

BRIEFLY

Boston Bruins forward Rich Peverley will reportedly join Finnish team JYP Jyvaskyla. Teammates Tyler Seguin is playing for ECH Biel of Switzerland while Andrew Ference signed with a team in the Czech Republic ... Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask will join HC Plzen of the Czech Extraliga for the duration of the lockout, according to ESPN. Rask opted to play in the Czech Republic rather than his native Finland ... Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Nikita Nikitin agreed to terms with Avangard Omsk of the KHL. Nikitin signed a two-year extension with the Jackets in June ... Philadelphia Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds and St. Louis Blues winger Chris Stewart have reportedly signed with Eispiraten Crimmitschau, a second-division team in Germany. Both are expected to join the team by as early as Tuesday.